Alaia Skyhawk: Here's the next bit :D
Note, I'll be cutting some scenes out because I'll be covering them in past tense, with the thoughts of Merlin or Arthur as later scenes happen. Rather than drag things out by covering everything exactly, I thought it might be more amusing to look at things from their point of view when they hear about what Gaius has been up to XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
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Chapter 10: Goblin's Gold ~Part 2~
The gold coin tinkled melodiously as it rolled down the hallway, chiming like a miniature bell as it then toppled over to fall flat on the stone.
Merlin and Gaius watched it, waiting, hoping the bait would be taken. Goblins were said to be rendered blind to danger, if it meant getting gold, and here was to hoping this one would be the same. After all, this was a blatant trap... A trail of coins leading down a hallway, into a storeroom, and up to a chest full of similar coins positioned so as to be fully in the swathe of light that came through the door. When the goblin did show up a while later it didn't disappoint, as it hurried along the trail picking up the coins and stopping occasionally to lick them in glee. When it reached the storeroom it almost seemed to be in the raptures of bliss at the sight, exclaiming in joy as it advanced on the box.
The waiting pair didn't give it the chance, Gaius shutting the door while Merlin threw a blanket over the goblin. As before the creature shrank down into light but this time all the exits, even the door's keyhole, had been plugged. It buzzed around the room, searching for escape, until Merlin tried to get it under the cloth again and fell flat on his face.
The room went silent of the goblin's inane buzzing, Merlin lifting the blanket to see if he'd caught it before realising he hadn't. He then got to his feet, startling Gaius who had been staring oddly off into space.
"Gaius... Did you see where it went?"
The physician jolted, staring at him before exclaiming loudly and clipping him around the back of the head.
"You let it escape, you stupid boy! And now you're just standing there like a sack of potatoes! Go on! After it!" Merlin hesitated, looking a little surprised at the berating he was getting, before Gaius waved him towards the door. "Go on, shoo!"
The warlock didn't hesitate again, darting out of the room and leaving Gaius with the chest of coins... Which the physician then advanced on with an expression of glee, before he picked one of them up and licked it...
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Bottles clattered to the floor, some breaking, and the entire chamber was a mess of shattered crockery, scattered papers, and herbs thrown carelessly about. In the midst of this was Gaius, lifting items from the shelf in front of him before tossing them over his shoulder in disgust. There wasn't any here, none!
The chamber door opened, Merlin already speaking as he entered while pulling the door closed.
"I've searched the entire palace and there's no sign of the... What happened?"
Door closed, he'd turned to see a room that looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, Gaius advancing across the room in irritation.
"That pesky goblin! You let it escape and it's ransacked my premises!" He headed for the door, frowning. "You've got some cleaning up to do."
Merlin turned, confused. It was a bit late for his mentor to be going out anywhere.
"Where are you going?"
Gaius was still frowning.
"To the tavern."
"But you never go to the tavern."
Merlin was more baffled than ever, Gaius seeming to think for a moment before replying.
"Then I shall see what I've been missing."
He stalked out of the room, leaving Merlin staring after him totally confused. What had gotten into him?
He shook his head, turning his attention to the task at hand. At least it was late at night, it meant there was no chance of anyone walking in on him. He began the process of cleaning everything up, whisking herbs from broken jars into new ones, gathering broken glass into a bucket, and mopping up spilled liquids all with his magic. He avoided doing 'chores' with magic these days, he couldn't risk it besides it being lazy, but on this occasion the sheer volume to be cleared meant he made an exception.
Within half an hour he was done, the chamber back to normal except that Gaius would need to restock certain ingredients and replenish his supply of empty jars and vials. Still unable to figure out what had been wrong with the physician, Merlin put out all but one of the lamps and went to bed.
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When he'd come out of his room the next morning he'd been greeted by the sight of Gaius, standing there looking like he had the mother of all hangovers. Then, after declaring that his head felt like the inside of a drum, and his mouth like a badger's armpit, he'd demanded Merlin go out to the market and bring something back for breakfast.
The warlock had obliged, still baffled by his mentor's strange behaviour. He'd figure it out later.
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Cold... She felt cold...
Morgana hurried away from the physician's chambers, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Something was wrong with Gaius, though she didn't know what. The way he'd looked into her eyes, declaring that within them he could see her true heart and desires... It wasn't the physician she knew, the elderly man who cared steadfastly for those in need of his skills... It had not been Gaius who spoke to her with his voice and face.
She shuddered, clutching the vial she held in one hand. She'd only gone to him to get a sleeping draught, to stave off the chance of her prophetic dreams disturbing her sleep. Had the healing bracelet Morgause had given her not been stolen, she would not have entered those chambers this day.
Glancing down at the vial, she eyed it warily. She was tired, she'd admit it. Last night had seen her plagued by illusive images, nothing identifiable but the maelstrom had been enough to prevent her from resting. Had she just imagined what he'd said, hallucinating due to exhaustion? He'd given her the draught so cheerfully after he'd confronted her... Had it really happened?
She shuddered again, as a familiar desire to not have magic rose within her. Yes it had led to her gaining a sister, but at the same time she wondered if her dreams would cost her her mind...
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"Gaius charged you for medicine?"
Merlin eyed Gwen, as the two of them walked through the castle hallways. He'd spent all day searching the castle for the goblin again, Arthur hounding him to keep looking, and even going so far as to try scrying for the thing... Which had resulted in him seeing a woman chasing her unfaithful husband out of her house with a broom, a cow sitting in a field, and an image of an empty castle stairway. Sufficient to say it had been a waste of time.
Beside him Gwen was a little baffled, but otherwise accepting of what had happened. If she'd thought it strange, then she'd clearly shrugged it off.
"There's an illness going around in the lower town, one that can be fatal if not treated. He said I was showing signs of the symptoms, but that I had to pay for the remedy. I spoke to others he's treated as well, and they said he'd explained that the ingredients for the remedy were expensive and couldn't be covered by the treasury. He's only allowed to freely distribute medicines made with inexpensive things, otherwise people might try to take advantage of Uther's generosity in covering the cost of them. I guess it's just the way things have to be. Not even Gaius can go against Uther's rules. He charged me one gold coin for the remedy. It's a lot of money for me, but it wouldn't have done me much good if I'd died from that illness."
Merlin felt a sinking feeling in his gut, at the mention of the gold coin. Gaius' strange behaviour had started when they'd lost sight of the goblin in the storeroom, what if...
He hurried away from Gwen, calling back to her.
"I'd better get going. Arthur asked me to take his sword to be sharpened, and he'll tell me off if it isn't done before supper."
She smiled at him as he walked away, chuckling.
"Just make sure you don't drop it."
Merlin tried not to wince at that comment as he turned a corner, he admitted he was clumsy but not that clumsy. Still, he had other things to be worried about right now, worries that would be confirmed or absolved when he spoke to the man in question. Reaching the physician's chambers, he peered around the edge of the door and saw something that confirmed his worst fears.
Gaius hiding the chest of gold coins that he, Merlin, had borrowed from Arthur.
Anger rising inside him, he stormed into the room.
"You're the goblin!"
Gaius stared at him.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Merlin started to shake his head, before pointing at the physician agitatedly.
"No, but you have... or at least it's been taken over."
"Don't be ridiculous."
Merlin advanced on him, certain.
"I know Gaius as well as I know myself, and you are not him."
The elderly man let out a sigh of surrender, before speaking with a small smile.
"Ah, you've got me... How do you like my new body? It's a bit old and creaky but it's ever so much fun."
Merlin stared at him, anger clear to see in his eyes.
"It's not your body, it's Gaius'. What have you done with him?"
The goblin rolled Gaius' eyes, clearly not caring.
"Oh he's still in here somewhere."
Merlin remained silent for a moment, before trying to reason with the thing.
"Gaius has done you no harm... Leave him."
It might have brought hope to the warlock when the goblin seemed to agree, but then in the same breath it refused. Gloating that he couldn't do a thing to it so long as it was within his mentor, it then left the room leaving Merlin with nothing he could do.
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The council chambers were filled, the members of the court assembled before their hat-wearing king. Uther, still bald, had resorted to the covering to preserve his dignity until his hair grew back, but little did he know that dignity was not going to be an option in this case.
Stood before him was Arthur, delivering the report of what had happened over the course of the day.
"There have been several incidents of vandalism around the palace, as well as a number of thefts. Attempts have been made to catch the culprit, although at present the thief continues to elude us."
The sound of someone breaking wind interrupted him, Gwen, who was stood behind the seated Uther and Morgana, biting her lip in embarrassment. After a moment to regard her in surprise, Arthur had been about to speak again when a louder noise of the same type came from Morgana, who fought to keep from looking mortified.
Hastily breaking the following silence, Uther addressed his son.
"Double the guard, I want the perpetrator found."
The moment he ended his sentence, as he shifted in his seat, he too became a victim of the sudden and unusual epidemic of flatulence, the members of the court all staring and yet keeping quiet so as to not cause offence. Meanwhile the goblin winked at a startled Merlin, and Arthur, who didn't see that exchange, couldn't help the mixed expression on his face as he replied to his father's command with just the slightest hesitation.
"Yes, My Lord."
Uther went still, a look of concerned concentration on his face, before another gaseous blast made it past his guard and he barked out to the court.
"This council is dismissed!" Gwen and Morgana too fell victim again, as his shout sent everyone scurrying out of the room. "Now!"
Merlin left as only Arthur and the possessed Gaius remained behind, waiting a little ways down the hall until Arthur came past.
The prince collared him when he saw him, the two of them striding away down the passage.
"Care to tell me what on earth is going on?"
Merlin, teeth gritted, answered.
"I found out why I couldn't find the goblin... It's Gaius, he's been possessed. The goblin is using him as a front so it can gather gold by charging people for remedies they don't actually need, and it's using him as a shield as well. Until I can figure out how to get it out of him, we're just going to have to keep an eye on him."
Arthur stopped, looking a little unconvinced.
"Wait, are you saying that it was the goblin treating my father's b... hair condition this morning? I arrived in the room to find him slapping my father round the head like it was a drum, saying that it was to restore the circulation to his scalp so that his hair would grow back faster."
Merlin stared at him.
"He was slapping Uther round the head?"
Arthur shook his head in resignation.
"Look, as funny as that might seem to you, it doesn't change the fact that, as Gaius, that thing has access to my father. We have got to get rid of it before it hurts either of them. Now get going!"
Merlin darted away and disappeared around the next corner, Arthur only able to return to his rooms... powerless to help.
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Alaia Skyhawk: I've decided I will split this into three parts. I'm writing part 3 now, but I'll leave off posting it until tomorrow to spread the updates out a bit.